Whitsunday 
cost), is ridiculous.] 1. The seventh Smuiay 
after Easter; a festival of the church in com- 
memoratiou of the descent of the Holy Spirit 
on the day of Pentecost. 
Have hatte uf fioures as fresli as May, 
Chapelett of roses of Wissonday. 
Rom. of the Rose, 1. 2278. 
Tewysday a tor whith Sonnday, we cam to Canterbury, 
to Seyiit Thonies Messe, And tlier I otferyd, and made an 
ende of my pylgrymage. 
TorHngton, Diarie of Eng. Travel], p. (i". 
2. In Scotland, one of the term-days (May 15th 
or, from tlie Old Style, May 26tli) on which 
rents, annuities, ministers' stipends, etc., are 
paid, servants are engaged and paid, etc. The 
Whitsunday removal term in the towns is now 
fixed bv law as May 28th. 
Whitsiin-farthings (hwit'sun-far'THingz), II. 
pi. Pentecostals. 
Whitstm-lady (hwit'suu-la'di), n. Tlie lead- 
ing female character in the merrymakings at 
Whitsuntide. 
Whitsun-lord (hwit'sun-lord), n. The master 
of the revels at the old Whitsuntide festivities. 
A cooper's wit, or some such busy spark. 
Illuminating the high constable and his clerk 
And all the neighbourhood from old records 
Of antique proverbs, drawn from Whitswdordii. 
B. Juti^on, Tale of a Tub, Prol. 
Whitsuntide (hwit'sun-tid), n. [< ME. whit- 
soiitj/dc, witainitijik, tohi/ssonti/cle, whitesime-Ude, 
ichiisioitidc ; < Whitsuii + tide.'] The season 
of Pentecost, comprehending the entire week 
which follows Pentecost Sunday, in the Church 
of England Whitsunday was appointed in 1549 as the 
day on wliich the reformed Book of Common Prayer was 
to be used for the first time. Whitsuntide, along with 
Easter, was one of the two great seasons for baptism in 
the ancient church, and received the name of White Stm- 
day (Dmninica Alba) from the albs or white robes of the 
newly baptized, as Low Sunday was also called Alb:Sun' 
day {Dominica post Albas or in Albls depositis). See Pen- 
tecost. 
The weke afore n-itsontyde come the kynge to Cardoell, 
and when he was come he axed Merlin how he hadde 
spedde. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), i. 60. 
The king then left London for the North a little before 
Whitsuntide, as the contemporary writer of Croylaiid tells 
us. J. Gairdner, Richard III., vi. 
Whitsun-week (hwit'sun-wek), ». [< ME. 
"icliitsoii weke, wi/ttsoii-tooke; < Wliitsun + 
jt'ceA'l.] The week which begins with Whit- 
sunday. 
So it befelle that this Emperour cam, with a Cristene 
Knyghtwith him, into a Chirche in Egypt: and it was the 
.Saterduy in Wyttson woke. ' Mandeville, Travels, p. 299. 
whittaw (hwit'a), II. [Appar. for whitimcer.] 
Same as u-liit-tnirer. 
Men are busy there mending the harness, under the 
superintendence of Mr. Guby the whittaw, otherwise sad- 
dler. George Eliot, Adam Bede, vi. 
whit-tawer (hwit'a"er), n. [< ivhit" for irhile^ + 
tairer. Cf. tcliiti/er.] Aworker in white leather; 
especially, a saddler. HalliweU. 
whitten (liwit'n), n. [Appar. < wliitc'^ + -en, 
orig. a<l,j. inflection-ending.] A name assigned 
in some old books to the guelder-rose. Vibur- 
num OjihIu.i (also called snowball-tree), but prop- 
erly belonging to the wayfaring-tree, ('. ]jin- 
tuntt, alluding to the white under surface of its 
leaves, and so used in large portions of Eng- 
land. 
whittie-whattie (hwit'i-hwof'i), n. [A varied 
reduplication; cf. licittle-twattle.'] Vague, shuf- 
fling, or cajoling language; hence, a person who 
employs cajolery or other deceptive means to 
gain an end. .fiiiuienon. [Scotch.] 
whittie-whattie (hwit'i-hwof'i), r. i. [Sc] To 
mutter; whisper; waste time by vague cajol- 
ing language; talk frivolou.slv; shill}--shall3'. 
[Scotch.] 
What are ye whittie-whattieiny about, ye gowk?" said 
his gentle sister, who suspected the tenor of his murmurs. 
Scott, Pirate, vi. 
whittle' (liwit'l), H. [< ME. u-hitel, liwitel, < 
AS. Iiirilel (= Icel. Iiritill = Norvv. Icvitcl), a 
blanket or mantle, lit. a 'white mantle,' < hwit, 
white. Cf. E. blanket, tilt. < ¥. blanc, white.] 
Originally, a blanket; later, a coarse shaggy 
mantle orwo<ilen shawl worn by West-country 
women in England. [Old and prov. Eng.] 
When he streyneth hym to strecchc the straw is bus 
whitel ; 
S<j for bus glot<jnye and grete synne he hath a greuous 
I)enaunce. Piers Ploicmait (C), xvii. 70. 
Her figure is tall, graceful, and slight, the severity of 
its outlines suiting well with the severity of her dress, 
with the brown stuff gown, and ijiain gray whittle. 
Kinysley, Two Years Ago, ii. 
whittle- (hwit'l), n. [Altered for "tliicillle, < 
MK.thiritil, a knife, lit. 'a cutter.' < AS. tlnritiin, 
E. lliKile. dial, iftiite, cut : see tliirile.] A knife : 
6914 
especially, a large knife, as a butcher's knife or 
one carried in the girdle. 
There 's not a whittle in the unruly camp. 
Shak., T. of A., v. 1. 183. 
The long crooked whittle is gleaming and bare ! 
Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 56. 
I've heerd tell as whalers wear knives, and I'd ha' gi'en 
t' gang a taste o' my whittle if I'd been cotched up just 
as I'd set my foot on shore. 
Mrs. Gaskell, Sylvia's Lovers, iv. 
whittle^ (hwit'l), V. ; pret. and pp. whittled, 
ppr. wltittliiiy. [Formerly also Ji7*i We; <. whittle'^, 
«.] I. traug. 1. To cut or dress with a knife ; 
form with a whittle or knife : as, to whittle a 
stick. 
I asked about a delightful jumping-jack which made its 
appearance, and wished verj' much to become the owner, 
for it was curiously whittled out and fitted together by 
Mr. Teaby's own hands. Tlie Atlantic, LXV. 88. 
2. To pare, or reduce by paring, literally or 
figuratively. 
We have whittled down our loss extremely, and will not 
allow a man more than three hundred and fifty English 
slain. Walpole, Letters, II. 60. 
3. To intoxicate; make tipsy or druuk. [Ob- 
solete or prov. Eng.] 
After the Britans were wel whitled with wine, he fell to 
taunting and girding at them. 
Versteyan, Rest, of Decayed Intelligence (ed. 1628), p. 230. 
Poms, well whittled with nectar (for there was no wine 
in those days), walking in Jupiter's garden, in a bower 
met with Penia. Burton, Anat. of Mel., p. 443. 
II. intrans. 1. To cut wood with a pocket- 
knife, either ainilessly or with the intention of 
forming something; use a pocket-knife in cut- 
ting wood or shaping wooden things. 
Here is a boy that loves to run, swim, . . . make faces, 
whittle, fish, tear his clothes. 
0. W. Holmes, Professor, viiL 
The Megg,ar boys . . . produce knives sitnultaneously 
from their pockets, split each a good splinter off the pal- 
ings, and begin whittling. 
W. M. Baker, New Timothy, p. 264. 
2t. To confess at the gallows. [Cant.] 
When his last speech the loud hawkers did cry, 
He swore from his cart, it was all a damn'd lie ! . . . 
Then said, I must speak to the people a little. 
But I'll see you all damn'd before I will whittle. 
Simft, Clever Tom Clinch. 
Whittleseya (hwit'l-si-ii), n. [Named after 
C. Whittleseii (see def.).] The generic name 
of a plant first found by Charles Whittlesey 
in the coal-measures at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, 
and named by J. S. Newberry in honor of its 
discoverer (1853). This plant is known only by its 
leaves, of which the nervation is very peculiar, exclud- 
ing it from all other known genera. The generic char- 
acters, as given by Lesquereux, arc — "frond simple or 
pinnate, nerves fasciculate, confluent to the base, not di- 
chotomous, fructification unknown." The leaves have a 
peculiar truncate form, are somewhat fan-like in shape, 
and dentate at the upper border, but entire on the sides 
and rapidly narrowing into a short petiole. I'his plant, 
of which the nervation has some analogy with that of the 
gingko, was placed by Lesquereux with the S oeygarathiese ; 
Schenk considers it as possibly belonging to the gymno- 
sperms. Wfdttleseya has been found In various localities, 
always low down in the coal-measures. 
whittle-shawl (hwit'1-shal), «. Same as irhit- 
ttcK 
whitwall (hwit'wal), n. Same as tritifall. 
Whitwell stO've. One of various forms of stove, 
on the regenerative principle, whicli ai'e used 
for heating the air for the supply of an iron 
ftirnaee working with the hot-blast. The heating- 
surfaces in the Whitwell stove consist of broad spaces 
and flat walls instead of the checkerwoik usually em- 
l)loycd. Such stoves have been built having a height of 
70 feet ami a diameter of over 20. 
Whitworth gun. See ;/««'. 
whity (hwi'ti), a. [< whiti'^ + -//'.] Kather 
white; whitish. 
whity-brown (hwi'ti-broun), a. Of a whitish 
cohu' with a brownish tinge; light yellowisli- 
gray: as, Khitij-brawn pai)er. Diflferent shades 
of paper have at different times been so desig- 
nated. 
whityert (liwit'yer),H. [< Jf7i/<fl + -ijer, -ier'^. 
Cf. whiter, whiUter. The word survives in the 
surname Wldttier.'] A bleacher ; a whitster. 
whiz, r. and n. See whi:::. 
whizgig, n. A mechanical toy. 
whizlet (hwiz'l), r. i. [A freq. of irAL-.] To 
wliizz ; whistle. [Rare.] 
Rush do the winds forward through perst chinck narrolye 
whizliny. Stanihitrst, .^neid, i. 93. 
whizz, whiz (liwiz), r. /. ; pret. and p)). u-hi::ed. 
p|>r. whi::iii(i. [= Icel. Iirissa, hiss, run with a 
liissiiig sound, said of streams, etc.; an imita- 
tive wui-d, like /i/.s.v. hu:.:, whistle, etc.] 1. To 
make a liuniming or hissing sound, like that of 
an arrow or ball flying thi'ough the air. 
who 
God, in the whizzing of a pleasant wind. 
Shall march upon the tops of mulbeiTy trees. 
To cool all breasts that bum with any griefs, 
As whilom he was good to Moyses' men. 
Peele, David and Bethsabe. 
The exhalations whizzing in the air 
Give so much light that I may read by them. 
S/ia*.,J. C.,ii. 1.44. 
2. To move, rush, or fly with a sibilant hum- 
ming sound. 
How the quoit 
Whizzed from the Stripling's arm. 
Wordsworth, Excursion, vii. 
Parried a nmsket ball with a small sword, insomuch 
that he absolutely felt it wtiiz round the blade. 
Irving, Sketch-Book, p. 442. 
whizz, whiz (hwiz), «. [< tchizz, r.] A sound 
between hissing and humming; a sibilant or 
whistling hum, such as that made by the rapid 
flight of an arrow, a bullet, or other missile 
through the air. 
Every soul it passed me by. 
Like the whizz of my cross-bow ! 
Coleridge, Ancient Mariner, iii. 
whizzer (hwiz'Sr), «. A centrifugal machine 
used for drying sugar, gi'ain, clothes, etc. 
From the whizzer the « heat passes to the smut machine. 
The Engineer, LXV. 2. 
Ritchie's Steam Whizzer. — A machine for treating musty 
grain. Set. Amer., N. S., LVIII. 178. 
whizzingly(hwiz'ing-li),arfr. l<whizzing,ppr., 
H- -Ij/'^.] With a whizzing sound. 
whizzing-stick (hwiz'ing-stik), ti. Same as 
bull-roarer. Amer. Anthrop., III. 258. 
who (ho), proH. [< ME. who, uha, wo, qtco, quo, 
qaa, qva, hwo, hoo, ho (gen. whos, whas, whes, 
quos, hwas, hwes, hwos, hos, wos, dat. whotn, 
wham, wlisem, nam, hwam, ace. whan, wan, hwan), 
< AS. hwd (gen. huies, dat. hwuni, hwsevi, ace. 
hwone, instr. hwi, hwjj (see whyi)) = OS. hve = 
OFries. hwd, wd = LG. we, wer = D. wie = OHG. 
MHG. wer, G. «er = Icel. hverr, hier=Sw.hvem 
= Dan. /i few, 7H-o = Goth. Iiicas, m., htco, f. (gen. 
hwis, m., hwizos, f., dat. Iiwamma, m., hwizai, t., 
ace. hwana, m., Iiwo, t., instr. hwe, pi. Jiwai, etc.), 
who, = Ir. Gael, co = W. pwy = Russ. kto, chto, 
who, what, =Lith. kas, who, =L. qnis,va., qux, 
f., quid, neut., who, = Gr. 'irof, *K(5f (in deriv. 
TToi; where, etc., rrorepoc, Kurepof, whether) = Skt. 
kas, who (ace. kain, whom). For the neuter, 
see whaf^. From this root are ult.)f/(eH,!r7ience, 
where, whether^, whieh, whither, why, how, and 
(from the L. root) quiddity, quality, quantity, 
etc. Who, which, what were orig. only inter- 
rogative pronouns; which, whose, whom occur 
regularly and usually as relatives as early as 
the end of the 12th century, but ir//o not until 
the 14th century.] A. interro;/. Denoting a 
personal object of inquiry: What man or wo- 
man? what person? WAo is declined, in both singular 
and plural alike, with the possessive (genitive) whose and 
the objective (dative or accusative) whom : as, w-ho told 
you so? whose book is tliis? of irhom are you speaking? 
Qtio made domme tdumbi, and quo specande? 
Quo made bisne (blind), and yjto lockende? 
Quo but ic, that bane al wrogt ? 
Genesis and Exodus (E. E. T. S.), 1. 2821. 
Ho makede the so haidy 
For to come in to mi Tur? 
King Horn (E. E. T. S.), p. 69. 
Whom have I in heaven but thee ? Ps. Ixxiii. 25. 
Whence comes this bounty? or u-hose is 't? 
Beau, and El., Laws of Candy, iv. 2. 
Arrest me ! at lehose suit? — Tom Chartley, Dick Lever- 
pool, stay ; I'm arrested. 
Dekker and Webster, Northward Ho, i. 2. 
In certain special uses who appears — (rt) Inquiring as to 
tlie character, origin, or status of a person : as, who is this 
man? (that is, what are his antecedents, his social standing, 
etc.): titio are we (what sort of persons are we) that we 
should condemn him? 
Wlw art thou that judgest another man's servant? to 
his own master he standeth or falleth. Rom. xiv. 4. 
Please to know me likewise. Who am I? 
Why, otie, sir, who is lodging with a friend 
Three streets off. Browning. iYa Lippo Lippi. 
Mr. Talboys inquired, " Who were these people? ' "O, 
only two humble neighbors," was the reply. 
C. Jteade, Love ile Little, iii. 
(6) In exclamatory sentences, interrogative in form but 
expecting or admitting no reply : as, who would ever have 
suspected it ! 
Our heir-apparent is a king I 
Who dream'd, u-ho thought of such a thing? 
Shak., Pericles, iii., ProL, 1. 38. 
B. rel. Introducing a dependent clause, and 
noting as antecedent a stibjeet, object, or other 
factor, expressed or understood, in a clause 
actually or logically preceding, (o) With reference 
to the clause following, the relative may introduce- (1) 
A subordinate proposition explanatorj- or restrictive of the 
antecedent. 
Ydolatrie thus was Iwren, 
For qmtam mani man is for-loren. 
Genesis and Exodus (E. E. T. S.X 1. 696. 
